Poor people died in lightning, no one thinks about them
Photo Collected
Too many deaths together upset us. Everyone was shaking. Talk shows cut through the monotony of content. On April 18 (5 Baisakh), maximum 13 people were killed by lightning in a single day. At least 30 people were killed by lightning even before Baisakh. Among these 43, the number of able-bodied males is greater—38; Two women and three children also died. 24 of the dead were farmers.
This time the maximum number of deaths due to lightning was in Sylhet division – 11 people. 7 in Chittagong division, 6 in Rajshahi division and 5 in other divisions. Sunamganj alone has the maximum number of 6 people as a district. Last year 263 people were killed by lightning. Among them 38 children, 31 women and 194 men. About 76 people were injured.
An average of 300 people die each year due to lightning. The highest number of deaths recorded in the near term was in 2020. 381 people died then. In 2021 this number was 362.
Australia’s Curtin University has conducted research on this natural disaster in Bangladesh. They say that there are an average of 8.4 million lightning strikes every year in this country, 70 percent of which occur between April and June. It is the beginning of monsoon season. At the end of monsoon i.e. when the monsoon winds return, thunderstorms also increase in September-October. However, according to the data, the death toll due to lightning occurs relatively more during the early monsoon season. If we calculate the last year or the previous years, we can see almost the same continuity.
Professor Ashraf Dewan of Curtin University has researched the data of US space research agency NASA and Finnish company Vaisla, and during the pre-monsoon season (March-April-May) most lightning strikes occur in the districts of Haor region (Habiganj, Sylhet, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar). During monsoon, lightning is more common in Sunamganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, Manikganj, Tangail, Gopalganj, Barisal and Rangpur, Panchagarh and Kurigram in North Bengal. And during the end of the rainy season, i.e. in the month of October-November, more lightning occurs in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Noakhali and Cox’s Bazar. There are records of lightning even during winter. It mainly occurs in Satkhira, Khulna, Patuakhali areas near Sundarbans.
Many people say, ‘due to climate change there are more lightning strikes now than before and more people are dying because of it. However, researchers at Curtin University have challenged this idea with data. According to them, the amount of lightning has not increased. They say, people have increased, the involvement of people in hostile weather has increased. Where 70 million people lived in 1971, there are now almost three times more people living there. This is the main reason for the high casualties.
In 2016, the government of Bangladesh included it in the list of natural disasters like floods and cyclones, considering the magnitude and number of deaths caused by lightning. However, no specific treatment or treatment protocol has been developed for people injured by lightning so far. Many were sent to the burn hospital in Dhaka. Former chief coordinator of National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute. Samant Lal Sen told me that the treatment of people who have been burned by fire and those who have been burned by lightning is not the same. It is important to create a protocol for new doctors and update it regularly.
According to hospital records and information published in newspapers, from 2020 to 2025, at least 714 people were injured by lightning and sought medical attention. Although many of them are still alive, it is known that they are suffering from various complications including hearing problems. The concerned doctors said that the injured persons need long-term treatment.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief issues various warnings about lightning. It said that people injured by lightning should be treated in the same way as those injured by electric shock.
Attempts should be made to quickly restore the breathing and heart rate of a person injured by lightning. Artificial respiration can be saved within minutes. A longer delay may result in the death of the injured person.
Even when struck by lightning, some people die instantly of cardiac arrest. Some people’s heart stops and starts again. If they are brought to the hospital, doctors can try to save them. According to medical science, if the injured person’s heart is active, he should be given CPR (chest compressions) immediately. For that it is important to have knowledge about CPR.
CPR can be life-saving if the injured person is taken to the hospital quickly with CPR. Many people do not want to catch a person injured by lightning. It is absolutely a superstition. Injured or dead body does not have electricity.
After spending a lot of money, we realized that the palm tree project was not fruitful. The project has been cancelled. As we understand, palm trees require maintenance. Apart from that it takes 20-30 years for them to grow taller than humans. Even though we talked about planting palm trees, we did not talk about stopping cutting of palm trees. Dungar haat of Tal is still running freely in various markets of South and South-Western regions of the country including Narail. Before the next monsoon, tens of thousands of palm trees will fall under the blow of the axe. After the story of palm trees, the story of lightning arresters and lightning shelters and early warning for lightning, cyclone and flood shelters. 1 thousand 300 crore was allocated for this project.
The Ministry of Agriculture also planned to build various structures to protect farmers from lightning strikes. But whatever we do, we have to do it with people and science without hurrying like a palm tree. We do not have the luxury of incoordination between ministries.
The poorest people were killed by lightning. Ignoring the rain and storm, they have to stay in the farm. None of them are listed as our next of kin. So no one will think about their safety. Whether we like it or not, they are the first to come forward for the needs of the country. What will happen to our food security if we cannot protect them?
Source: Prothom Alo Bangla
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